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Showbiz Tonight
Shocking Paris Hilton Tape Revealed; Should Fashion Industry Ban Super-Skinny Models?
Aired February 02, 2007 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: For the first time since getting hitched to Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes speaks out about her marriage. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: And "American Idol" wannabes, famous for their lack of talent. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: Another shocking star hate tape. Tonight, the outrage over the startling video of Paris Hilton using both the N-word and anti-gay slurs. Is Paris really a racist? And why did she say such ugly things? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with this explosive controversy.
Stars doing the most outrageous things and it`s all caught on tape. From Britney`s breakdown to Tom`s tirade to Paula`s punchiness. Tonight, who`s on top of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s list of the most embarrassing, most painful to watch celebrity interviews ever.
Welcome to your weekend everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
HAMMER: Yes, Friday night is on. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And tonight, Celebrities caught on tape saying the most ridiculous, embarrassing things on video. We`ve got a lot of stuff tonight that you got to see to believe.
ANDERSON: That`s right, A.J. And tonight we begin with Paris Hilton. Tonight we have a startling tape of her and she`s wearing her clothes. Yes, but, you know, that`s not what`s startling, because it`s an explosive videotape of Paris Hilton racially slurring blacks, insulting gays and basically swearing up such a storm that her mother should wash her mouth out with soap. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PARIS HILTON, ACTRESS: (INAUDIBLE) She`s a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) hoodlum, broke poor (EXPLETIVE DELETED) from like Compton.
A public school (EXPLETIVE DELETED)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: The tape was shot a few years ago as Paris danced with her sister, Nicky, in a nightclub. It has just surfaced on the Internet and her disgusting, racial and gay slurs have ignited outrage and controversy. With us tonight from Court TV studios in New York, Ashleigh Banfield, host of Hollywood Heat on Court TV. Ashleigh, here we go with Paris Hilton.
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, COURT TV ANCHOR: Here we go again.
ANDERSON: This tape comes from a website that is selling Paris` personal belongings that were seized from a storage company because she didn`t pay her bill. Well, this is not the first time she has been caught on camera. As we know, there was the sex tape. But my question is this, how stupid can she be to not realize that, number one, you don`t do these things at all. But secondly, especially not when the cameras are rolling, Ashleigh.
BANFIELD: Yes, you know, I never took her for MENSA material to start with. On this particular occasion, Brooke, she thought this was sort of more of a private affair, a private party. Although she`s heard at the beginning of the tape saying, can you film me, which is a little odd. So, you know, she lives her life in front of a camera. So everything she does is in front of a camera, and I think basically what`s happened here is that the ugly has surfaced along with the pretty. That`s unfortunate for her.
I`m sure she never meant for this to get out. Luckily for her she wasn`t referring to anyone in particular when she used the N word or the F word, except for a friend of hers lovingly, I suppose. Boy, she got a lot in 20 minute.
(CROSS TALK)
BANFIELD: She made some nasty comments about people who don`t have as much money either.
ANDERSON: I know, it`s just unbelievable to watch. You know, and Isaiah Washington recently said that same F word. Michael Richards said the N-word. And, you know, there was an unbelievable backlash against the two of them. Is Paris -- Could should possibly face that same kind of thing?
BANFIELD: I don`t know. I was wondering about that, because, in a way, they may have already taken some of the heat off of her. I know that`s strange, but there`s been such an explosion in the press already about this. It really remains to be seen how people will be affected by this, because Paris is kind of always out there. She can`t up herself on the outrage meter.
ANDERSON: Right, and she`s gotten away with so much. She did survive the sex tape. She got arrested for DUI. A big deal wasn`t made about that. But is this the kind of thing that could actually bring Paris down? We know her life seems to be stage. But could there be something that crosses the line?
BANFIELD: I don`t think so. She doesn`t apply her trade selling her movies or her CDs, right? She just kind of gets photographed. This might be something that gets her photographed even more. Other thing is, a little known fact about that lawsuit that she launched over this website, she has also asked for a portion of the proceeds, if there are going to be issues where she can`t --
ANDERSON: No?
BANFIELD: You bet you, just like the sex tape. She ended up getting proceeds in the settlement from the sex tape, about 400,000 dollars, if I remember correctly. But she said look, if I can`t get my stuff back, if I can`t shut you down and stop you from putting all my private issues out there for everyone to see, you`re going to at least share in the ill gotten proceeds.
ANDERSON: Interesting she says that very quickly, because she also calls the website the single and most egregious and reprehensible invasion of privacy ever committed against an individual, a little strong, don`t you think.
BANFIELD: Yes, I think the people in Abu Ghraib might think differently. But, you know what, I bought a membership to the site, so that I could see if her passport was valid. Because it was a valid passport. I tend to think this is a pretty egregious invasion of privacy. Does it rise to the level of being illegal? Still to be determined. And a lot of people think no.
ANDERSON: We will wait and see. OK, Ashleigh Banfield from Court TV, thanks so much, we appreciate it.
BANFIELD: OK.
ANDERSON: And we`ve got even more shocking star footage that you`re just going to have to see to believe. Coming up at 31 minutes past the hour, the most shocking, ridiculous, embarrassing celebrity interviews ever.
HAMMER: Of course Paris Hilton shot to super-stardom thanks to that infamous sex tape that got out in the first place. But there`s another vehicle that`s launching a whole slew of people into the realm of stardom, and you may have heard of it, a little show called "American Idol." Now, we`re not talking about the Jennifer Hudsons, the Chris Daughtries, the Kelly Clarksons of the world, or the other "American Idol" alum that have actual talent.
Now, more than ever, we`re seeing Idol contestants becoming famous for everything but their singing.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(SINGING)
HAMMER (voice-over): SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, now more than ever, "American Idol" stars are becoming famous not for their talent but their utter lack of talent.
(SINGING)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m sorry.
HAMMER: Or their life stories.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My daddy`s paralyzed. He shot himself like right here. But it`s OK.
HAMMER: Like this Southern Belle who made headlines for relating her colorful family history to the shocked judges.
RANDY JACKSON, "AMERICAN IDOL": Why -- what --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His wife was cheating on him, which was the step mama. He caught her in the act. And it wasn`t the first time. So, like, he shot her and shot himself.
BEN GROSSMAN, BROADCASTING & CABLE MAGAZINE: When America loves or hates someone right away, boom, you`re a celebrity. Just like that. The term 15 minutes of Fame becomes 15 seconds of fame when you`re talking about "American Idol."
HAMMER: And these pseudo-stars are milking their 15 seconds of fame for whatever they`re worth, whether we like them or not. You may be asking, why are so many "American Idol" contestants willing to humiliate themselves on national TV anyway?
RAMIN SETOODEH, "NEWSWEEK": They think, I can`t sing, but I`m still going to audition, because if I get on the show, I will be famous. I could be like William Hung.
HAMMER: Ah, yes, William Hung.
He was so bad on Idol.
SIMON COWELL, "AMERICAN IDOL": You can`t sing, you can`t dance.
HAMMER: But that didn`t stop him from releasing CDs and making public appearances. And on "LARRY KING LIVE," Hung made this startling revelation.
ANNOUNCER: We pause now for a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT warning: Some viewers may find the following bit of "American Idol" information depressing and disturbing.
LARRY KING, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ANCHOR: William, have you made over a million dollars so far?
WILLIAM HUNG, "AMERICAN IDOL": It`s safe to say.
HAMMER: Yes, that`s right. William Hung`s bad singing has sold tons of CDs and made him rich. That fact proved shocking to some.
GROSSMAN: I need a second to digest that.
HAMMER: When he recovered, Broadcasting and Cable`s Ben Grossman told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, word`s gotten out that fame and fortune can follow humiliation on Idol.
GROSSMAN: Unfortunately, people have seen people like William Hung go on, be absolutely terrible and get a little bit of fame. And now everybody thinks they can be so dumb and so, you know, idiotic on television that they`re going to get some love from the country.
HAMMER: Take Kenneth Briggs and Jonathan James. The bashing they got from favorite Idol bad guy Simon for their less than sterling audition.
HAMMER: You look like one of those creatures that live in the jungle with the massive eyes. What are they called? Bush babies.
HAMMER: Earned them national fame and a Super Bowl reporting gig for Jimmy Kimmel Live.
JIMMY KIMMEL, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE": Our favorite "American Idol" duo Jonathan and Kenneth are there too.
HAMMER: And there`s Ian Bernardo and his memorably awful "American Idol" audition.
(SINGING)
HAMMER: And it was his even more memorable spat with Simon.
IAN BERNARDO, "AMERICAN IDOL": As a tax paying American, in my country, I want to see a working visa, because I don`t think you`re legally employed.
HAMMER: Ian recently came on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT and told me with a straight face that he expects his Idol appearance to help his music career.
BERNARDO: I hope to be a television talk show host and have my CD out.
HAMMER: Fortunately, you don`t have to be bad or act badly to win instant "American Idol" fame. Winning our hearts works just as well.
(SINGING)
HAMMER: Sixty four-year-old Sherman Core won the hearts of all of America. He had the show`s producers wave the age limit to appear on the show, so he could sing a tribute to his late partner, who had died just two days before his performance.
SHERMAN CORE, "AMERICAN IDOL": I think it smoothed her passing. And made it a little softer. It made her a little softer.
HAMMER: His touching performance has led fans to circulate a petition to bring him back. On "LARRY KING LIVE," he said his TV singing debut was a promise to his dying loved one.
CORE: She asked me that, no matter what happened to her, that I would go ahead with my singing and share it with as many people as possible.
GROSSMAN: It`s just a great story and "American Idol" has made a name for themselves telling great stories.
HAMMER: So, for the millions of American viewers, if a touching story like Sherman can make up for the countless Hungs and Bernardos, well, that`s SHOWBIZ.
(SINGING)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: What a country. What do you think? Here`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day: Instant fame, are there too many bogus celebrities. Let us know. Vote at CNN.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. The e-mail address, SHOWBIZTONIGHT@CNN.com.
ANDERSON: I`ve got some really happy news now. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that "Charlie`s Angels" star Farrah Fawcett is cancer-free. Farrah tells us, "I have been on a journey for the past four months and during this time received a tremendously aggressive treatment. In the face of excruciating pain and uncertainty, I never lost hope and it never occurred to me to stop fighting, not ever. I hope my news might offer some level of inspiration to others who unfortunately must continue to fight the disease."
Doctors say Farrah, who just turned 60, has an excellent prognosis. She never revealed which type of cancer she was battling.
HAMMER: For the first time since getting married, the Kat half of TomKat is speaking out. Katie Holmes on her marriage to Tom Cruise next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now that was the most embarrassing celebrity interview ever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Speaking of Tom and Katie? Remember Tom`s crazy couch jumping on Oprah? How could you not? Coming up, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT picks the most embarrassing star interviews ever.
HAMMER: And I was right there at the Red Dress Fashion Show in New York. Everybody was talking to me about the controversy over the super- skinny models as Fashion Week gets under way. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Time now for a story that made us say, that`s ridiculous.
We told you about the Nationwide Insurance Super Bowl ad where Kevin Federline, Britney spears` soon to be ex-husband, makes fun of himself by ending up working at a fast food restaurant.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(SINGING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Federline, fries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well now Taco Bell wants K-Fed to make a run for its border. The chain is offering K-Fed a real job at the Taco Bell of his choice. They`ll even give him a uniform. Now even though K-Fed`s music career bombed, we don`t think he needs to be saved by the bell, so, to this ding dong Taco Bell idea, we say, that`s ridiculous.
And by the way, K-Fed`s publicist tells us that K-Fed had a big laugh at the offer.
ANDERSON: Time now for the SHOWBIZ Weight Watch. This is where we cover of Hollywood and body image like nobody else. It`s the beginning of Fashion Week in New York. And amid all of the glitz and glamour this year, there`s also something else coming down runway: the debate over super skinny models is reaching a fevered pitch. Here`s CNN`s Carol Costello for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Call it the war on skinny; those minuscule models, who seem to make an extra million every time they lose a pound. Now their lack of body fat is under fire. New York City Councilwoman Gail Brewer wants to require them to be fleshier.
GAIL BREWER (D), NEW YORK CITY COUNCILWOMAN: We really want people to be at a certain body weight, 18.5. We want them to be educated on nutrition. We want the designers to offer some clothes that are a little more robust. And we certainly want people less than 16 not to be modelling.
COSTELLO: Brewer wants New York`s fashion industry to voluntarily ban models with a Body Mass Index, or BMI, below 18.5, similar to what Milan and Madrid did after models died of anorexia. BMI is an indicator of body fat. A normal person would be between 18.5 and 24.9. Nigel Barker is a fashion photographer and a judge on the TV show, "America`s Top Model."
(on camera): Is there any successful fashion model, like Giselle or Kate Moss?
NIGEL BARKER, "AMERICA`s NEXT TOP MODEL": Sure, Kate Moss is below 18.5, not above. She`s below and I think she`s very successful. She`s healthy that way.
COSTELLO (voice-over): So, if Brewer`s idea becomes a fashion industry requirement, say good-bye to the New York cat walk, Kate Moss, and Giselle too. Although under New York City`s proposed idea, how would you banish them from the stage?
NEIL HAMIL, ELITE MODEL MANAGEMENT: Do you put scales and calipers backstage at fashion shows? I don`t see that happening.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: I don`t think that`s likely to happen. The New York City council wants to work with the Council of Fashion Design on this issue. So far, no comment from them. But consider this from designer Diane Von Persterburg (ph). She told "New York Magazine," the day the industry bans skinny models it will be over her dead body.
Back to you Brooke.
ANDERSON: Strong words from her. CNN`s Carol Costello for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, thanks so much.
HAMMER: Now more on the raging debate over the dangerous messages super skinny runway models are sending. I was there at the Red Dress Fashion Show as it kicked off 2007 Fashion Week for the fall in New York. All kinds of celebrities hitting the cat walk for the charity event that does a great job educating women about heart disease. But before they walked the walk, they joined me on the red carpet to give me the skinny on how they felt about the super skinny model controversy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAUREN HUTTON, FORMER MODEL: I think that they should eat. I mean, I was 21 when I started modelling and I didn`t have to start dieting and I never dieted. I wouldn`t eat two pork chops. I would just eat one.
HAMMER: There`s a lot of talk with New York Fashion Week being here off banning the super skinny models? Do you think that`s a good idea? Will that help to send the right message?
RACHAEL RAY, TALK SHOW HOST: I thought it was very interesting. It`s one of those things where you can see either side of it. Those women are very thin because of the industry that`s now saying they don`t have a job to go to. But, you know, anytime there`s a change, you have to -- you have to stop and somebody has to suffer a little bit for a greater good sometimes. So, you know, I think it`s an interesting thing that they`re trying to do that.
BETSEY JOHNSON, FASHION DESIGNER: No rules, no regulations.
HAMMER: You don`t think a ban on super skinny models is the way to go.
JOHNSON: A concern for people in general. It ain`t just the models.
NATALIE MORALES, "TODAY" CORRESPONDENT: I think the images should be more realistic, because no woman is cut out like a model. They`re just super women in their look. I don`t think we should aspire to that. They`re nice and beautiful to look at. We would all love to look that good, but the reality is, we don`t.
HAMMER: There`s a lot of talk, particularly with New York Fashion Week being her, that super skinny models should be banned from the runway. Do you think that is a good idea, to get the right message out there? Does something need to happen like that?
BILLIE JEAN KING, FORMER WOMEN`S TENNIS STAR: Well, by the time a girl is 17 years old, she`s seen 250,000 commercial messages to tell her how she should look. And also by a time a girl is in high school, 78 percent of them do not like their body. So, I think we should start thinking about it. Yes, I think we should start having all different types of bodies going down the runway, which you`re going to see today, believe me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It`s so cool to see Billie Jean King there. Other celebrities on the runway included Kim Cattrel (ph), Angela Bassett, Kelly Rippa, and there was special guest first lady Laura Bush right there in the audience. A great event for a great cause.
ANDERSON: Indeed it was. Well, it was the wedding everybody was talking about. Since her November marriage to Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, well, she hasn`t done much talking. For the first time, the Kat half of TomKat is speaking out. In the March issue of "Harper`s Bazaar," Katie says, "I have a husband and children that I adore. I have a career that I really love. When I sit back and reflect, it`s wow, I am very grateful. Tom makes me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world, and has since the day I met him. I love being with him. I love calling him husband."
And Katie says she`s reading scripts again. And when she goes back to work, it will have to really be worth being away from Tom and their baby daughter Suri. Read more in the March issue of "Harper`s Bazaar."
HAMMER: So are there little J-1`s in J-Lo`s future? Jennifer Lopez opens up about having kids -- Plus this. [
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(INAUDIBLE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Well, you`ve probably seen or heard about this video of a bride going absolutely psycho about her hair just before her wedding. But it got us wondering, could it be fake? Mystery solved next.
HAMMER: And Tara Conner, Lindsay Lohan, Isaiah Washington, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks, can you really be cured by spending just a month in rehab? A rehab reality check, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. As an actress, singer, designer, oh, and let`s not forget, wife, you might think Jennifer Lopez is way too busy to take on anymore roles, right? Well no, because now she is thinking of tackling one more responsibility, that of mom. J-Lo is, in fact, already step mom to hubby Mark Anthony`s three kids from his previous relationships, but during a chat today with Ellen Degeneres, J-Lo opened up about yearning to extend those family ties.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELLEN DEGENERES, "ELLEN": But you want to have more kids, lots of kids, a lot.
JENNIFER LOPEZ, ACTRESS/SINGER: Yes, absolutely. A lot, I don`t know about a lot.
DEGENERES: Like, five, four?
LOPEZ: One or two.
DEGENERES: One or two?
LOPEZ: I`ll take two at once. That would be great.
DEGENERES: Really? That`s a lot of work.
LOPEZ: OK.
DEGENERES: That`s a whole lot.
LOPEZ: But then you`re done and you got two.
DEGENERES: Well, quadruplets, you`re done with four.
LOPEZ: Too many. That must hurt.
DEGENERES: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: J-Lo is 37 and says her motherly motivation is driven by her close relationship with her own family. She`d like to keep that tradition going.
HAMMER: Well coming up, what really goes on behind the walls of the celebrity-filled rehab clinics. Is it Hollywood hype or are they really providing miracle cures for the rich and famous. We`ve also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now that was the most embarrassing celebrity interview ever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Caught on tape -- watch what happens when celebrities get trapped in the spotlight off the cuff and off guard. It`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most embarrassing interviews ever.
HAMMER: And she`s back. You remember this video of the bride caught in the hair raising meltdown. We cut to the truth about her bad hair day.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Friday night. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. You are watching TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Brooke, it is unbelievable how many celebs seem to be in and out of rehab lately. Sometimes they`re in there for 30 days, sometimes just a couple of days. What`s going on, and can those short stays really do any good? We`re going to look into it in just a couple of minutes.
ANDERSON: Sounds good, A.J.
Also, you know, millions of people have watched that YouTube video with the psycho bride really freaking out, really having a meltdown over her hair.
HAMMER: Yes. Yes.
ANDERSON: Well, is the video real, or is it fake? We will tell you, straight ahead.
HAMMER: We want to know.
ANDERSON: And you know, here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, we just love our celebrities. We do. But we just can`t help pointing out when they`re - when some of their less-than-stellar interview moments create some of the most embarrassing pieces of television history. That`s why we`ve compiled what we think are some of the best embarrassing celebrity interviews ever.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANNY DEVITO, ACTOR: (INAUDIBLE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Whether it`s Danny DeVito`s nonsensical ramblings on "The View".
BRITNEY SPEARS, ACTRESS: (INAUDIBLE)
ANDERSON: .or Britney Spears` emotional breakdown on "Dateline NBC," SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you the top five "Most Embarrassing Celebrity Interviews Ever." Sitdowns, throwdowns and meltdowns the stars probably wish had never happened. And have us asking: what the heck were they thinking?
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: They`re really not thinking, and that`s the problems.
TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: You don`t even - you`re glib. You don`t even know what Ritalin is.
TERESA STRASSER, TV GUIDE CHANNEL`S "TV WATERCOOLER": But then when he was so condescending to Matt Lauer, and when he insulted therapy - of which I get and need a lot - now you`re pissing me off.
CRUISE: And she doesn`t understand the history of psychiatry. She - she doesn`t understand in the same way that you don`t understand it, Matt.
ANDERSON: It`s mission impossible to forget Tom Cruise and his anti- psychiatry rant on the "Today" show, when Tom went off on host Matt Lauer about Brooke Shields` use of antidepressants for her postpartum depression. That put him in the top 5 of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s "Most Embarrassing Interviews Ever."
BRAGMAN: I think Tom is an incredibly passionate man. Passionate about his belief in Scientology, passionate about his wife and his family. And I sometimes think the emotional element get in the way of his rational thinking about it.
ANDERSON: That interview pretty much made his Oprah-couch-jumping interview - we`ll call that one "5A" - look tame in comparison.
OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: We`ve never seen you behave this way before.
CRUISE: I know.
WINFREY: Have you ever felt this way before?
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
WINFREY: You`re gone. You are gone.
STRASSER: Oprah kept telling him, `You are gone. You are gone.` You know who was gone? His publicist.
ANDERSON: Well, Tom Cruise may be gone, but he`s not alone.
SPEARS: You have to realize that we`re people. And that we need - we just need privacy, and we need our respect. And - and those are things that you have to have as a human.
ANDERSON: This "Dateline" interview, which took place with Britney`s handlers nowhere in sight, is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s fourth "Most Embarrassing Interview Ever."
STRASSER: The aesthetics were a mess. I mean, the look of her - it looked like, you know, she wasn`t a multimillionaire, but she was somebody who needed to rotate the tires on her house.
ANDERSON: Even ageless beauty Farrah Fawcett had to explain away her 1997 space-cadet moment on "The Late Show With David Letterman," which landed her on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s as the No. 3 "Most Embarrassing Interview Ever."
BRAGMAN: Did you ever consider that maybe Farrah Fawcett is spacey?
DAVID LETTERMAN, TALK SHOW HOST: Now, a lot of people said to me, Well, what was the deal with Farrah Fawcett? Was she drunk? And I said, Oh, I - I don`t think so. You weren`t drunk, were you?
FARRAH FAWCETT, ACTRESS: No. You could have smelled it. That - that - that`s what I meant.
LETTERMAN: Yes, I know.
FAWCETT: You could have smelled it.
ANDERSON: Hmm. Smelled it, huh? Well, the question of whether or not Danny DeVito was drunk during his appearance on "The View" is one that the actor and his reps answer, `No way. He was just tired.`
DEVITO: I knew it was the last lemoncellos that was going to get me.
ANDERSON: It also got you, Danny, named as the No. 2 "Most Embarrassing Interview Ever."
STRASSER: I found Danny DeVito`s appearance refreshing because, you know, he was honest. He just said, I had lemoncellos, and I`m hung over. Who has not gone to work a little hung over?
PAULA ABDUL, ENTERTAINER: Hey, you know what? It is what it is.
ANDERSON: Even some of the stars we may idolize can find themselves on the business end of an embarrassing and somewhat incomprehensible interview.
ABDUL: No animation. I`m not being cast - four girls that are going to play the roles of these characters. And I get to play a role in it.
ANDERSON: Hey Paula, how about playing the role of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s No. 1 "Most Embarrassing Interview Ever."
STRASSER: But she was looking here - and, you know, Paula Abdul, this is not her first day in show business. She wanted to look at the camera - she was looking over here, and she`s moving. She can`t stay in frame. She`s hyperkinetic. She was here, and she was here. She was all over the place.
ABDUL: Listen: any publicity is good publicity.
BRAGMAN: No, that`s one of the biggest myths of our business. There is definitely bad publicity.
ABDUL: You got to learn to eat it up and - and embrace it, and say, Seattle had the best delusional people.
ANDERSON: All right, Paula - we won`t go that far.
And the way these celebrities keep finding themselves in interviews that are - hmm, less than flattering - it doesn`t look like it`s going to end anytime soon.
CRUISE: What do you mean by that?
ANDERSON: Well, what SHOWBIZ TONIGHT means, Tom, is this: if you guys keep thinking you can go out in front of millions of people making a.
(DONKEY BRAYING)
ANDERSON: .out of yourselves, we`re probably going to be there to say.
STRASSER: Now that was the most embarrassing celebrity ever.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Ah, celebrity public-relations expert Howard Bragman, who you saw in the piece, says some celebrities` embarrassing moments, like Danny DeVito`s, are harmless and handled well, while some, like Tom Cruise`s, can actually hurt their careers.
HAMMER: Well, here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, we`ve become a little bit skeptical. Some might even say we`ve become a little bit jaded. Because we`ve been hearing about so many celebrities going to rehab and leaving after, really, what seems to be a ridiculously short amount of time. You know, I`m talking about the stars like Lindsay Lohan, Miss USA Tara Conner, and of course let us not forget, "Grey`s Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington. He checked himself into rehab for using an anti-gay slur. He`s already back to work and on set.
Well tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has a rehab reality check.
Joining me tonight from San Francisco, Tara Fields. She`s an interventionist from A&E`s show "Intervention."
I appreciate you being with me, Tara.
TARA FIELDS, "INTERVENTION": My pleasure.
HAMMER: I - I want to be clear here: I`m not knocking the obvious benefits of rehab. Obviously, it does lots of good for lots of people. But it`s been in the news so much, I want you to help me out with a couple of things, and - and let`s star with another Tara, Miss USA Tara Conner.
Now she checked out of rehab after a month. And it seemed that even before she had her bags unpacked, she was back on television, talking about being better than ever. Now we`re talking about somebody who admitted that she just realized while in rehab that she`s an alcoholic. She admitted to using cocaine while Miss - while Miss USA.
Is there anything realistic about how quick her treatment was?
FIELDS: Yes, I`m also a little skeptical also. You know, it`s not as if at the stroke of midnight on the 30th day, this magic happens, and everybody`s cured, and they`re ready to do the press tour and get slammed back into life as it was.
That`s really not the best way to continue your recovery if your intention really is to stay clean and sober.
HAMMER: Obviously, different kinds of treatment are going to work for different people.
Lindsay Lohan, for example - she`s in rehab for what seemed like barely a couple of weeks. Now while - while her treatment was going on, we`re getting reports that she`s in and out - not just reports, we`re getting pictures. You know, she`s getting her car fixed; she`s going to lunch in hotspots with friends; she`s checking in on the movie that she was working on.
It - it seems to me, at least it`s not a real aggressive way of seeking treatment.
FIELDS: Yes, you know, again, if you really want to stay clean and sober, just admitting and finally getting out of your denial that you have a drug and an alcohol problem, that`s just the tip of the iceberg.
The real work comes when you`ve eliminated the drugs and the alcohol. But now you have to deal with all the pain, all the feelings that you haven`t dealt with. And changing your lifestyle dramatically.
So most people that are really intent on staying clean and sober are going to keep a very low profile. And they`re just going to stick their toe in the water when it comes to re-entering the real world. Otherwise that 30 days is going to be meaningless.
HAMMER: And - and maybe Lindsay`s intentions are really good at this point, and maybe she is lightly stepping into the real world. Because we just got confirmation from her publicist that she`s actually backed out of a film she was scheduled to do with Annette Bening.
I would - I would have to believe that`s a pretty good sign.
FIELDS: Yes, we hope so. And we hope she`s trying to reduce the stress.
But something else I`d like to see, or maybe not see, is every AA meeting that she goes to. Because you know, in L.A., there are hundreds of AA meetings. If you really want t keep your anonymity, as well as the other people that are going to those meetings, you could find meetings that nobody`s going to know about. If you go to one famous one in Beverly Hills, which I won`t name, you can be sure that you`re going to be hounded by the paparazzi.
HAMMER: Oh yes.
Well, let - let`s talk real quickly about one that I - I just can`t ignore. I`m still kind of having a hard time about it. I have to say, when - when we here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that "Grey`s Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington was off to rehab for using a homophobic slur, we all just kind of went, `Huh?`
Now - now.
FIELDS: Yes.
HAMMER: .would normal people ever really go to rehab for using an anti-gay slur, Tara?
FIELDS: Well, you know, what we really have to look at is - you know, and I am a real therapist - if his drug of choice is anger - people can use anger to mood-alter - mood-alter the same way someone might use drug and alcohol to not use other feelings that would be more painful: depression, anxiety.
So let`s say - OK, we`re going to give him the benefit of the doubt.
HAMMER: Right.
FIELDS: .that he says, `I am a rage-a-holic. I am so angry, and I am ready to get to what`s underneath it, and I need to separate myself from the real world.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Yes.
FIELDS: Yes. Absolutely.
But I got to say. A.J..
HAMMER: Yes.
FIELDS: .I really think people are starting to trivialize the profundity of saying, `I`m going into treatment and I`m working a program.`
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Tara, I got to wrap it up there, because I`m out of time. I completely agree with you, and let`s hope it does not get watered down, because obviously it can be very useful.
Tara Fields from the A&E show "Intervention," thanks so much.
ANDERSON: Yesterday we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day": "Miss USA`s Cocaine Confession: Should she have lost the crown?"
Take a look at the vote now: 81 percent of you say yes; only 19 percent of you say no.
Here are some of the e-mails we received:
Donna from Minnesota writes, "Doing drugs and underage drinking? Yes, it`s just what I want my kids to emulate. Forgive? OK. But forget? No way."
Travis from North Carolina says, "Everybody makes a mistake at one time in their lives. She admitted to it and sought help."
HAMMER: Brooke, I can`t wait; almost time for us to reveal the SHOWBIZ staff picks - five things we`re loving this week. A little preview for you: we love Reese Witherspoon`s new look. But stick around to find out what else made the list.
ANDERSON: Yes, she really is looking great, A.J.
We will also have this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CROSSTALK)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: This video is all over the place: a bride freaking out and cutting her hair right before her wedding. But was it real? We`re going to tell you, next.
HAMMER: And doggie video dating? Huh? Stick around; SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for Friday night.
So you probably heard about or saw the YouTube video of a crazy bride just wigging out over her hair, right before she was supposedly walking down the aisle. Millions of people watched this thing; we even played it for you a bit earlier this week on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
But in case you missed it, here`s another look:
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m in hell!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What`s wrong? What is wrong?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It looks so bad.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Woah. Woah.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look at my hair!
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let me look this one (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh (EXPLETIVE DELETED)
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, it doesn`t look that bad. Honestly.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE). Look what she did!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It looks fine. There`s nothing wrong with it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you kidding me?
(CROSSTALK)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: All right.
Yes, well as many of us here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT suspected, it was all just an act. That`s right. Pretty good one though. The psycho bride is 22- year-old Jodie Bean (ph). She`s a Canadian actress. The rest of the women in the video, actresses as well.
And on "Today"`s "Good Morning, America" the video`s co-creator talked about how the idea came about. And we actually got a look at Jodie`s real hair.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CROSSTALK)
DIANE SAWYER, ABC NEWS CORRESPONDENT: You know, so many people - before you get to why you did and the true story - so many people thought you were wearing a wig. We went online and looked, and all the people who are writing in said she - it had to be a wig.
But no?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. No wig.
SAWYER: And it was a month ago?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yep.
SAWYER: So this is the real-post Bridezilla.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was a collaborative effort, and I came up with it with - coming up with different hair stories. I had one of my own, of prom. I sprained my ankle because I hated my hair so much and ran up the stairs, taking everything apart.
So I think - yes, women have stories like this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. Well, the women also said they don`t feel guilty about the video. They don`t think that they duped anyone, because they were just hired to act. And they`re actually waiting for Hollywood to come a`calling with other offers.
By the way, the company that hired them, Sunsilk, which makes shampoo, says the whole idea of the video - it was created to dramatize that bad hair is just one of the many challenges faced by young women. Now based on the buzz that they got out of this, it doesn`t really seem like such a hair-brained idea.
ANDERSON: No. It is a challenge I face daily.
The world of video dating is attracting some real dogs. And there`s one little lady who has set her sights very high. You know, she doesn`t want a date with any old Fido or Rover; she wants a romantic romp on the White House lawn.
Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): When a girl`s got her sights set on the most eligible Scottish terrier in the world, she better make a great dating video.
Kenzie, the Scottie from Seattle, has two words for Barney.
(DOG GROWLING)
MOOSE: Her owners, Ben and Shelby Dobbs, are crazy about their Scotties. And since they`re planning a trip to Washington in April, they figured a date with Barney would be fun. After all, he likes to play ball. She likes to play ball. He has his own Web page. So does she. And she looks good in jeans.
We know how you feel, girl.
(on-camera): We actually sent the White House a list of questions. For instance, does Barney like women half his age? She`s 3, he`s 6. The White House didn`t bite.
(voice-over): Kenzie even has her own calendar. But there is one thing she doesn`t have.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She has never had a boyfriend.
MOOS: Speaking of actresses, Kenzie`s owners got the idea for this from a documentary called, "My Date With Drew."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have 30 days to get one date with Drew Barrymore. She has no idea who I am.
MOOS: Eventually, Drew saw his stunts and granted him one little lunch date. So there`s hope.
After all, he`s manly enough -- to scare little kids. He`s well- read. But Kenzie may be better on a speaker phone.
(on-camera): Here, Kenzie. Kenzie, do you normally date men twice your age?
(DOG GROWLS OVER THE PHONE)
(voice-over): We`ve heard Barney occasionally catches the news.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you want to watch the news and see what`s going on?
MOOS (on-camera): If only Barney could only see this report, see the hot Scottie who`s yearning for him.
(on-camera): Hey, that`s not nice. Bad, Barney.
(voice-over): Kenzie has been getting e-mails from Scotties like Scottalicious, saying, if things don`t work out with Barney, there`s always me.
Can a Libra like Barney find romance with a Sagittarius who describes herself as "fuzzy and twangy"? "Straight white female seeks black terrier living in White House."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Kenzie`s so cute, great personality. Barney would be lucky to have a date with that little dog.
And that was CNN`s Jeanne Moos.
HAMMER: So earlier, we took a look at some of the contestants on "American Idol" who have shot to fame because of their unusual auditions. And we`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day."
Here`s that question: "Instant Fame: Are there too many bogus celebrities?"
We`d like you to keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Write to us if you got more to say, at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll be reading some of your e-mails on Monday.
And remember, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the only entertainment news show letting you express your opinion on video. Send us a video e-mail. Check out all the info at cnn.com/showbiztonight.
ANDERSON: We here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT are loving Reese Witherspoon`s new look. We absolutely adore her new hairdo - those bangs are so flattering - so much - we love it so much that it made the list of our top 5 "SHOWBIZ Staff Picks" for the week.
And find out what else we`re loving, coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fade up music under. Go Camera 3. Stand by, Brooke. Pre-set 7. Open her mike. Dissolve L.A. Go.
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
All right. Let me tell you that you would absolutely love the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT morning meetings, because we have a really great time talking about everything that we are loving. And we want to share those things with you right now.
So here now, the top 5 "SHOWBIZ Staff Picks."
You know, we`re a pretty clean group here, but we love "Dirty Jobs" on the Discovery Channel. Our producer, Jenny D`Attoma, doesn`t stop talking about how the host of the show, Mike Rowe, will roll up his sleeves and do any job - even digging for bloodworms. OK Jenny, we got it.
We`re also loving HDTV`s "Small Space, Big Style." Our senior broadcast producer Albert Lawitten (ph) is obsessed with looking at how other people take the gym lockers that pass as Manhattan apartments and remake them. You`re not - you will not believe how small spaces are transformed.
And you have to check out the Web site hungrygirl.com. Producer Amy Schulman (ph) is spending way too much time on the site, because she says it`s the best Web site for ladies looking to keep it healthy, offering everything from survival eating strategies for the weekend, to low-fat recipes, and teaching you where the hidden horror calories can be found.
We are also loving Reese Witherspoon`s new do. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT producer Carrie Hill (ph) keeps on staring at the picture of Reese with the bangs and the choppy bottom, and she`s thinking - Should I do that, too? The buzz is, Reese`s do is now the most-requested haircut in Hollywood.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT senior writer Rob Melstein (ph) was doing cartwheels this morning because Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow today. You know it`s the - only the 15th time that`s happened since they started keeping tabs on the groundhog in 1886. Remember, no shadow means an early spring. And so Rob immediately put in for some early spring vacation days.
A reminder, you can always catch up on the "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Staff Picks" by going to our Web site, cnn.com/showbiztonight.
HAMMER: Punxsutawney Phil on the "Staff Picks." That`s funny to me.
Let`s see what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Well, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT this weekend: "Unmarried in Hollywood." From Cameron to Angelina to Oprah, we`re talking a look at why more and more women in Hollywood and beyond are saying "I don`t" when it comes to getting married. That`s tomorrow and Sunday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT this weekend.
And on Monday, "Dreamgirls" a huge hit. Not everyone`s a fan, though. Motown legend Smokey Robinson is downright ticked off about it. Find out why Smokey calls the movie "irresponsible." It`s the explosive interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Monday.
That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Have a great weekend. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Have a good one, everybody. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
"GLENN BECK" is coming up next, right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News. Take care.
END
